Mollie Lasater Obituary

Mollie Lupe Lasater

October 2, 1938 - March 29, 2026

Fort Worth, Texas - Mollie arrived at San Antonio's Nix Hospital on October 2, 1938 two months after her future husband Garland was born in the same hospital. Her parents, Mollie Bennett Lupe and Bill Lupe gave birth to Mollie's brother John Bennett Lupe, two years later. Mollie lost her mother to breast cancer in 1941. Bill Lupe then married Zelime Lewis giving Mollie a loving new mother, and a beloved older brother, Perry Lewis.

Mollie left San Antonio at age 13 solo on a train bound for Abbot Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. The train ride resulted in a lifelong devotion to Abbot and Phillips Academy Andover. As of this month, Mollie has had 27 relatives from her family attend Andover. To Mollie's great joy, she learned last week that her great-niece will attend Andover in the fall. Mollie served as a trustee and in other roles for Phillips Academy Andover from 1988 until her death.

Mollie attended Vassar College, graduating in 1960. In 1961, the Order of the Alamo elected her Queen of San Antonio's Fiesta.

After that, Mollie worked as a tour guide for the United Nations in New York City. While there, Mollie met her future sister-in-law. Mollie followed up her work in New York with a job in Dallas for Braniff Airways as "Miss Braniff" charged to use her Spanish skills to promote travel from Latin America to New York's World Fair. During this time, she reconnected with a Marine fighter pilot/law student she had known since childhood. Mollie and Garland married on September 9, 1964.

Garland claims that after he finished law school, Mollie wanted to live in Dallas, and he wanted to live in Corpus Christi. They compromised and moved to San Diego, California. Garland M. Lasater, III- nicknamed "Bo" arrived in 1967. Two years later Mollie and Garland moved to Fort Worth where they soon had their second son, Edward Cunningham Lasater II. With two kids on the ground and steady employment, Mollie and Garland decided to embrace Fort Worth as their permanent home.

Education became Mollie's primary focus. Mollie believed in public education, and wanted to help improve it. She started with successful efforts to keep nearby elementary and middle schools open, but then began to consider how she could make a broader impact. Mollie won her first election as Vice President of the Fort Worth School Board, elected at large against seven male opponents. Mollie visited every school and made friends in every part of Fort Worth. She served on the School Board for 10 years and as President for the last four years.

After leaving the Fort Worth School Board, Mollie founded the Fort Worth "I Have a Dream Foundation." The program took on entire classes of fifth graders from low-income schools, mentored them through the years, and provided scholarships for higher education. During this same period, Mollie returned to school herself at TCU and earned a Masters of Liberal Arts degree. She remained a proud Horned Frog for life.

After "I Have a Dream," Mollie and Garland teamed up to form HS Squared. HS Squared takes bright and talented high school students from underserved backgrounds and provides them with three summers of high intensity college preparation at the Colorado Rocking Mountain School. Mollie took a personal interest in the students, following their journeys through the program and long after. Mollie loved to share news about the students' successes far and wide. The model has proven so successful that it is now expanding to other schools.

In addition to great education, Mollie believed that a world class city required world class arts. She served on the Fort Worth Science and History Museum Board, and supported the city's other great cultural institutions. Mollie joined the Fort Worth Symphony Board in 1986 and served until she died. Shortly before her death, two symphony musicians put on a concert for Mollie in the courtyard outside her bedroom. She loved it, while the rest of her family cried.

Mollie had direct relationships with all of her 13 nephews and nieces, countless cousins, and great nephews and nieces. Even in the last three weeks of life, Mollie's focus was always on others. Friends visited to say goodbye, and Mollie wanted to hear about their families.

Mollie stayed physically active and engaged in life until a health crisis derailed her on March 9th. She never complained or felt sorry for herself through five surgeries and 14 days in the ICU. She appreciated the wonderful nursing and medical care she received at Harris Hospital. When there were no more medical options, Mollie announced that she wanted to go home. She spent her final days surrounded by beauty, family, and friends.

Mollie is survived by her husband of 61 years, Garland M. Lasater, Jr.; her son, Bo and his wife, Kathryn, and their children, Lucy, Garland IV, and Piper; and her son, Edward and his wife, Ellison, and their children, Mary, Bennett, and Sam; her brother, Perry Lewis; her sister-in-law Memrie Lewis, her brother, John Lupe and his wife Priscilla, her brother-in-law, Ike Lasater and his wife, Daisy Abreu; her sister-in-law, Judith Lasater; and many, many nephews, nieces, great-nephews, and great-nieces.

There will be a service for Mollie at 3 pm on Wednesday, April 8th, at First Presbyterian Church of Fort Worth, 1000 Penn Street, with a reception to follow at River Crest Country Club.

The best ways to honor Mollie are by supporting the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra by attendance, donation or preferably both, or by donation to the HS Squared Program Charitable Fund at the Community Foundation of North Texas.